Search

Concepts of material flow and mass consistency of nitrogen compounds have been used to elucidate nitrogen’s fate in an urban environment. While reactive nitrogen commonly is associated to agriculture and hence to large areas, here we have compiled scientific literature on nitrogen budget approaches in cities, following the central role cities have in anthropogenic activities generally. This included studies that specifically dealt with individual sectors as well as budgets covering all inputs and outputs to and from a city across all sectors and media. In the available data set, a clear focus on Asian cities was noted, making full use of limited information and thus enable to quantitatively describe a local pollution situation. Time series comparisons helped to identify trends, but comparison between cities was hampered by a lack of harmonized methodologies. Some standardization, or at least improved reference to relevant standardized data collection along international norms was considered helpful. Analysis of results available pointed to the following aspects that would reveal additional benchmarks for urban nitrogen budgets: analysing the share of nitrogen that is recycled or reused, separating largely independent sets of nitrogen flows specifically between food nitrogen streams and fossil fuel combustion-related flows, and estimating the stock changes for the whole domain or within individual pools.

The optimal wet mass consistency during wet granulation is often determined using the hand squeezing test. In this study, torque values recorded inside the wet mass were measured using a mixer torque rheometer (MTR) via multiple additions of liquid. The main objective of this work was to predict the optimal wet mass consistency of pharmaceutical powders using the modified capillary ( Ca ∗ ) and Weber ( We ∗ ) dimensionless numbers. The results show that the optimal wet mass consistency versus Ca ∗ (or We ∗ ) can be fitted with a power–law function, whereas the improved capillary number C a ′ proposed in this work gives different relationships and behaviors depending on the spreadability and wettability of the blend. The wettability was obtained by measuring the contact angle between the liquids and the pharmaceutical powders. The surface free energy and the polar and dispersive parts of a liquid’s surface energy were obtained from Young’s equation and the Owens–Wendt–Rabel–Kaelble (OWRK) model. This study demonstrated the importance of the interfacial energy σ b - s and the pore radius, R pore in the establishment of a dimensionless number, Ca ∗ , that can satisfactorily predict with an R 2 of 0.80, the optimal wet mass consistency of pharmaceutical powders measured by the MTR.

En la presente investigación se realizó un estudio de la influencia de los parámetros reológicos de las hidromezclas lateríticas con los parámetros energéticos de los sistemas de bombeo que garantizan la productividad en la obtención de sulfuro de níquel. A partir de estudios experimentales como técnicas de difracción de rayos-X, fluorescencia de rayos-X y análisis de tamaño de partículas se modelaron los comportamientos de la viscosidad aparente, el esfuerzo cortante inicial, el índice de consistencia másica y el índice de flujo. Lo anterior, en función de los siguientes factores: temperatura, contenido de sólidos, composición química y granulométrica. Los resultados evidenciaron que las suspensiones lateríticas se comportan como flujos no newtonianos con plasticidad, debido a su carácter de materiales polidispersos, con un predominio de granulometría fina (partículas menores de 0,045 mm). Esto explica sus comportamientos reológicos, ajustables al modelo de Bulkley – Herschel a valores de temperatura de 28 a 90 °C y concentración de sólidos de 37 a 48% (p/p). Se concluye que el uso de un modelo matemático que relaciona los parámetros reológicos de la pulpa laterítica y los parámetros energéticos del sistema de bombeo contribuye con la eficiencia energética de la alimentación de la pulpa requerida en el proceso de lixiviación ácida.

Drag force flow (DFF) sensor is a process analytical technology (PAT) for real-time inline monitoring of wet mass consistency during high-shear wet granulation. The DFF probe is a hollow cylindrical pin, whose minute deflection is measured by optical strain gages. Time-dependent deflection of the pin can be connected to single granule impacts and bulk wet-mass action. When used in a granulator, sensor dynamic measurement can be characterized with force pulse magnitude (FPM), a quantity related to blade action. Time-dependent histograms of FPMs are described adequately by lognormal distribution and provide two principal outputs: mean (MFPM) and width (WFPM). These two parameters are indicative of fundamental material properties, such as shear viscosity and granule size and density, because they were changing during the granulation process. The dynamics of MFPM and WFPM could be correlated to granulation end point and used for scaleup.

This chapter describes the use of a drag force flow (DFF) sensor to probe wet mass consistency in real time and its correlation to granule densification using two formulations. A placebo and a brivanib alaninate formulation were granulated with different concentrations of binder or water, respectively, while comparing DFF sensor response with granule size growth and densification assessed independently. The wet mass consistency parameter correlated well with granule densification, which is known as a critical material attribute that correlated with tablet dissolution. In addition, comparison of responses from focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) and DFF sensors are presented to assess complementarity of information on granulation progress from the two probes. The DFF sensor was able to quantitatively characterize with high resolution a response of wet mass consistency distinct from granule size distribution. Finally, application of DFF sensor to scaleup of granulation is demonstrated.

The force exerted by wet mass in a granulator on a thin cylindrical probe called the drag force flow (DFF) sensor reflects wet mass consistency and is indicative of the granule densification. Comparison of flow force during wet granulation of batches with different binder concentration indicated good correlation with the granulation's resistance to flow and interparticulate interactions measured by the FT4 Powder Rheometer. This indicated that the force pulse magnitude (FPM) measured by the DFF sensor was indicative of fundamental material properties (e.g., shear viscosity and granule size/density). In addition, the time-profile of the FPM signal from the DFF sensor compared well with that of the impeller amperage, with consistent differentiation between different formulations.

Real-time monitoring and control of high shear wet granulation (HSWG) using process analytical technologies is crucial to process design, scale-up, and reproducible manufacture. Although significant progress has been made in real-time measurement of granule size distribution using focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM), real-time in-line assessment of granule densification remains challenging. In this study, a drag force flow (DFF) sensor was developed and used to probe wet mass consistency in real-time. In addition, responses from FBRM and DFF sensors were compared to assess complementarity of information on granulation progress from the two probes. A placebo and a brivanib alaninate formulation were granulated with different concentrations of binder or water, respectively, while measuring granule size growth, densification, and DFF sensor response. The DFF sensor was able to quantitatively characterize with high resolution a response of wet mass consistency distinct from granule size distribution. The wet mass consistency parameter correlated well with granule densification, which was shown as a critical material attribute that correlated with tablet dissolution. In addition, application of DFF sensor to scale-up of granulation was demonstrated. These results showed the value of wet mass consistency measurement using DFF for WG monitoring and control.

This work addresses the issue of particle mass consistency in Large Eddy Simulation/Probability Density Function (LES/PDF) methods for turbulent reactive flows. Numerical schemes for the implicit and explicit enforcement of particle mass consistency (PMC) are introduced, and their performance is examined in a representative LES/PDF application, namely the Sandia-Sydney Bluff-Body flame HM1. A new combination of interpolation schemes for velocity and scalar fields is found to better satisfy PMC than multilinear and fourth-order Lagrangian interpolation. A second-order accurate time-stepping scheme for stochastic differential equations (SDE) is found to improve PMC relative to Euler time stepping, which is the first time that a second-order scheme is found to be beneficial, when compared to a first-order scheme, in an LES/PDF application. An explicit corrective velocity scheme for PMC enforcement is introduced, and its parameters optimized to enforce a specified PMC criterion with minimal corrective velocity magnitudes.

Ten different approaches for applying lateral and top climatological boundary conditions for ozone have been evaluated using the off-line regional air-quality model AURAMS, driven with meteorology provided by the GEM weather-forecast model. All ten approaches employ the same climatological ozone profiles, but differ in the manner in which they are applied, via the inclusion or exclusion of (i) a dynamic adjustment of the climatological ozone profile in response to the model-predicted tropopause height, (ii) a sponge zone for ozone on the model top, (iii) upward extrapolation of the climatological ozone profile, and (iv) different mass consistency corrections. The model performance for each approach was evaluated against North American surface ozone and ozonesonde observations from the BAQS-Met field study period in the summer of 2007. The original daily one-hour maximum surface ozone biases of about +15 ppbv were greatly reduced (halved) in some simulations using alternative methodologies. However, comparisons to ozonesonde observations showed that the reduction in surface ozone bias sometimes came at the cost of significant positive biases in ozone concentrations in the free troposphere and upper troposphere. The best overall performance throughout the troposphere was achieved using a methodology that included dynamic tropopause height adjustment, no sponge zone at the model top, extrapolation of ozone when required above the limit of the climatology, and no mass consistency corrections (global mass conservation was still enforced). The simulation using this model version had a one-hour daily maximum surface ozone bias of +8.6 ppbv, with small reductions in model correlation, and the best comparison to ozonesonde profiles. This recommended and original methodologies were compared for two further case studies: a high-resolution simulation of the BAQS-Met measurement intensive, and a study of the downwind region of the Canadian Rockies. Significant improvements were noted for the high resolution simulations during the BAQS-Met measurement intensive period, both in formal statistical comparisons and time series comparisons of events at surface stations. The tests for the downwind-Rockies region showed that the coupling between vertical transport associated with troposphere/stratosphere exchange, and that associated with boundary layer turbulent mixing, may contribute to ozone positive biases. The results may be unique to the modelling setup employed, but the results also highlight the importance of evaluating boundary condition and mass consistency/correction algorithms against three-dimensional datasets.

A hybrid large eddy simulation/filtered density function (LES/FDF) approach is used for studying chemically reacting flows with detailed chemistry. In particular, techniques utilised for ensuring a mass consistent coupling between LES and FDF are discussed. The purpose of these techniques is to maintain a correct spatial distribution of the computational particles representing specified amounts of fluid. A particular mass consistency technique due to Y.Z. Zhang and D.C. Haworth (A general mass consistency algorithm for hybrid particle/finite-volume PDF methods, J. Comput. Phys. 194 (2004), pp. 156–193) and their associated algorithms are implemented in a pressure-based computational fluid dynamics code suitable for the simulation of variable density flows, representative of those encountered in actual combustion applications. To assess the effectiveness of the referenced technique for enforcing LES/FDF mass consistency, two- and three-dimensional simulations of a temporal mixing layer using detailed and r...

The widely used mesoscale meteorological model, MM5 and a recently released US EPA air quality model, Models-3/CMAQ were employed to investigate the effect of mass inconsistency in air quality modeling. During a 24-h simulation using a hydrostatic MM5 output, the mass inconsistent error, as measured by trace species concentration, grew by 242%. The nonhydrostatic simulation produced approximately 6 times larger mass inconsistent error than the hydrostatic model. This is because the nonhydrostatic model is not strictly mass consistent by neglecting terms representing pressure increase due to heating in a pressure perturbation equation, another form of the continuity equation. In both the hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic models, mass inconsistency was produced due to inconsistent numerical schemes and integral time steps between the meteorological model and the air quality model. Temporal interpolation of meteorological data in air quality modeling partly caused the mass inconsistency as well. The mass inconsistent error was removed successfully by conserving the mixing ratio of the trace species in both the hydrostatic and the nonhydrostatic cases.

A comparison of atmospheric transport and dispersion calculations over complex terrain was investigated using a mobile profiling system (MPS) versus standard meteorological balloons. Meteorological and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) concentration data were collected and used to evaluate the performance of a transport and diffusion model coupled with a mass consistency wind field model. Meteorological data were collected throughout April 1995, and parts of August 1995. Both meteorological and concentration data were measured in December 1995. Once the models were validated, the comparison of performance with different upper-air data were accomplished. The models used included the SCIPUFF (Second-order Closure Integrated Puff) transport and diffusion model and the MINERVE mass consistency wind model. Evaluation of the models was focused primarily on their effectiveness as a short-term (one to four hours) predictive tool. These studies showed how the combination of weather and transport models could be used to help direct emergency response following a hazardous material release. The models were used in tandem to direct the deployment of mobile sensors intended to intercept and measure tracer clouds. The MINERVE model was validated for the specific terrain of interest using April 1995 data. The capability of SCIPUFF driven by realistic three-dimensional wind fields generated by MINERVE is demonstrated using data collected in December 1995. Copyright © 2000 Royal Meteorological Society

Eulerian air quality models that require gridded meteorological inputs have to adapt to recent advances in meteorological models for fully compressible atmosphere. When the input meteorological data are recast with a robust fully compressible governing set of equations, chemistry-transport models can follow the dynamic and thermodynamic descriptions of the meteorological data closely. For evaluating mass consistency in meteorological data, one may take advantage of the characteristics of the governing set of equations applicable for a specific vertical coordinate system. This paper discusses how the data from meteorological models should be used in air quality simulations. It proposes a general methodology to conserve mass of trace species in air quality models by maintaining consistency in the wind and air density fields. Limitations of several simplifying assumptions on atmospheric dynamics are also discussed. In summary, it attempts to bridge the information gap between dynamic meteorologists ...

This work investigates the relationships between the wet mass consistency/viscosity of samples prepared in a mixer-granulator and physical properties of the dry granules produced from the wet mass; namely, size distribution, bulk density (Hausner ratio), friability, and flow avalanching behavior. The correlation between the consistency of the wet mass and the downstream dry granule properties confirms that consistency is the key parameter to control in wet granulation by mechanical agitation. Variations in the formulation affect the dimensionless power relationship of the mixer-granulator considered; that is, the equivalence between wet mass consistency and mixer net power consumption, which is actually the parameter used to monitor the wet granulation process. The same variations in formulation also affect the relationships between wet mass consistency and dry granule properties.

Atmospheric transport and dispersion over complex terrain were investigated. Meteorological and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) concentration data were collected and used to evaluate the performance of a transport and diffusion model coupled with a mass consistency wind field model. Meteorological data were collected throughout April 1995. Both meteorological and plume location and concentration data were measured in December 1995. The meteorological data included measurements taken at 11–15 surface stations, one to three upper-air stations, and one mobile profiler. A range of conditions was encountered, including inversion and postinversion breakup, light to strong winds, and a broad distribution of wind directions. The models used were the MINERVE mass consistency wind model and the SCIPUFF (Second-Order Closure Integrated Puff) transport and diffusion model. These models were expected to provide and use high-resolution three-dimensional wind fields. An objective of the experiment was to determine if...

In recent years, attention has been paid to the role of surface features in extracting momentum from the atmosphere. In the present study, the simulations performed with a “standard” mass-consistent model over the hills already simulated by Wood and Mason, are shown. Furthermore, an empirical method (named “Rising Orography” (RO) method), which improves the final mass-consistent wind field near the surface, is proposed. The results obtained with the RO method were then compared with those obtained by Wood and Mason, showing the superiority of the RO method over the “standard procedure”, mainly for better reliability of the wind field near the surface.

Issu de : 9th International symposium on agglomeration, 4th International granulation workshop, Sheffield, UNITED KINGDOM, 22-26 June 2009; International audience; The effect of binder properties on torque curves, granule growth kinetics, wet mass consistency and dry granule strength has been investigated in this study. Granulation runs have been performed on a fine cohesive microcrystalline cellulose powder (Avicel 105, d(50) = 20 mu m) in two types of laboratory high shear mixers: a Mi-Pro high shear mixer using a 1.9 L bowl and a 6 L Diosna high shear mixer. Binders used included ultra-pure water and solutions of varying concentrations of PVP and HPMC allowing us to cover different values for parameters like viscosity and work of adhesion. Torque curves recorded during granulation are found to allow good control of the process. Optimum liquid requirement for granulation has been found to vary with binder type and decrease with increasing viscosity while granule growth kinetics has been found to be to be related to the work of adhesion for low viscosity binders. Granule strength has been evaluated for wet granules by the means of wet mass consistency measurements on a mixer torque rheometer and for dried granules by means of uniaxial compression tests on a Texture Analyser mechanical testing machine. For low viscosity binders both wet mass consistency and dry granule strength have been found to depend on the work of adhesion. For high viscosity binders higher wet mass consistencies but lower dry granule strengths have been observed. Granulating on the larger 6 L scale has shown that constant impeller tip speed offers good agreement in terms of mean granule size however granule size distribution seems to be scale dependant.

[1] Diagnostic comparisons and evaluations of the global atmospheric energy and water budgets have been carried out with the new ERA-Interim reanalysis product and with satellite-derived fluxes. In the first part of this paper, we address time discretization, mass imbalance, and spin-up effects, which affect diagnostics from analysis and forecast fields in reanalysis. We discuss two ways of calculating vertically integrated horizontal energy and moisture flux divergence: (1) direct computation using analyzed fields and (2) indirectly from forecast model fluxes and vertically integrated tendencies. The spatial divergence patterns from the indirect method are found to be more realistic than those from direct computation from 6-hourly analyses since they are much less affected by temporal sampling errors, but corrections were nevertheless necessary to ensure mass consistency. The second part of this paper is focused on the interannual variability of ERA-Interim vertical fluxes and on comparisons with satellite flux data. Time series of vertically integrated energy/moisture tendencies and the corresponding analysis increments are also investigated, since shifts in these important quantities indicate artificial jumps in ERA-Interim, and relationships with vertical fluxes indicate internal consistency of the budgets. All data agree in that the most prominent changes in global budgets are internally forced (El Nino–Southern Oscillation). Broad agreement is found in ERA-Interim and Hamburg ocean atmosphere parameters and fluxes from satellite data (HOAPS-3) on a trend in the surface turbulent energy fluxes. Some of this trend may be caused by artificial shifts in ERA-Interim and especially HOAPS-3 in 1992 and possibly 2007. A strong increase in tropical land precipitation during the past decade is found in ERA-Interim and Global Precipitation Climatology Project 2. While large improvements have been made in terms of temporal homogeneity compared with ERA-40, especially with regard to precipitation, the homogeneity issue still needs to be carefully addressed when interpreting surface flux data from reanalyses or other sources.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of particle size on the wet massing behavior of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). In this study, a series of six fractionated MCC grades were customized and specially classified to yield different particle size varieties of the standard grade, Comprecel M101. All seven MCC grades were extensively characterized for the physical properties and wet massing behavior using mixer torque rheometry. Effects of MCC physical properties on the maximum torque (Torque(max)) were determined using partial least squares (PLS) analysis. Most physical properties varied systematically with particle size and morphological changes. Marked differences were observed in the small pore volumes (V (highP)) and BET surface areas of the MCC grades. Variables that exerted dominant influences on Torque(max) were identified. In particular, the significance of V (highP) in governing wet mass consistency was established. The role of V (highP) has not been reported in any study because this small but significant variation is likely to be obliterated or compensated by variation in other physical properties from MCC grades from different suppliers. The findings demonstrated the role of small pores in governing the wet mass consistency of MCC and provide a better understanding of MCC's superior performance as a spheronization aid by the ability to fulfill the function as a molecular sponge to facilitate pellet formation during wet granulation processes.

International audience; Atmospheric dispersion models are usually off-line coupled to mesoscale meteorological models. This may generate the loss of mass consistency, defined as the conservation of uniform mixing ratio. We investigate in this short paper the impact of the resulting mass consistency errors. Three methods based on the renormalization of density, on fluxes computed with mass mixing ratio and on the adjustment of the vertical velocity, respectively, are aimed at reducing the mass consistency errors. They are benchmarked and applied to two test cases: air quality modeling over Europe for summer 2001 (typical of reactive dispersion) and simulation of the Chernobyl accident (typical of passive dispersion). Our tests indicate the differences between the passive and the reactive cases. The investigation of the spatial patterns (especially of the vertical distribution) discriminates the method based on the adjustment of the vertical velocity. Indeed, this method suffers from the enhancement of the numerical diffusion (illustrated in the passive case) and from the modification of the escape flux (for ozone).

The numerical solution of the three-dimensional pollutant transport equation is obtained with the method of fractional steps; advection is solved by the method of moments and diffusion by cubic splines. Topography and variable mesh spacing are accounted for with coordinate transformations. First estimate wind fields are obtained by interpolation to grid points surrounding specific data locations. Mass consistency is ensured by readjusting the three-dimensional wind field with a Sasaki variational technique. Numerical results agree with results obtained from analytical Gaussian plume relations for ideal conditions. The numerical model is used to simulate the transport of tritium released from the Savannah River Plant on 2 May, 1974. Predicted ground level air concentration 56 km from the release point is within 38% of the experimentally measured value.

Conventional mass consistency equations of Nambu-Jona-Lasinio-type cannot produce hierarchical mass ratio—even if the ultraviolet divergences are cured in some way. This is in contrast with the theory of superconductivity where—via logarithms—such mass hierarchies are quite natural. We propose—in analogy to superconductivity—a modification of the singularity structure of the fermions which lead, by their self-interaction, to a symmetry breakdown. The arising ghostlike fermions —which seem to establish an alternative to the algebraic technifermion picture—allow the build-up of composite gauge bosons. In analogy to the unitarization procedure for non-Abelian gauge bosons with anticommuting spinless fields, we propose—explicitly on the one-loop level—a unitarization formalism also for the ghostlike subfermions by employing commuting spin-1/2 fields. There arises a close connection between the mass characterizing the symmetry breakdown and the value of the gauge boson coupling constant.

An objective analysis model is formulated to simulate the boundary-layer wind field in an area of complex terrain on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The model is designed to reproduce the effects of the terrain on the undisturbed trade wind flow in the area of interest. Mathematical algorithms representing surface roughness effects, cross-valley flow separation, ridge amplification, wind direction shear and, where applicable, the mass consistency principle are incorporated in the model.